Huddersfield Town’s Elite Development Team secured their passage to the next stage of the Central League Cup with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Rochdale at PPG Canalside.

The Young Terriers required victory via a three-goal margin in order to top the group and duly obliged as they dominated the game from start to finish, brushing their opposition aside in confident fashion.

Town were the better side for the entirety of the first half and their relentless pressure was rewarded as they entered the interval two goals to the good courtesy of a brace from Kian Harratt.

Micah Obiero and Romoney Crichlow-Noble completed the scoring for Leigh Bromby’s side with two quick fire goals just before the hour mark, before Toby Phillips added a consolation for the visitors five minutes from time.

The Young Terriers began the game on the front foot and opened the scoring inside 15 minutes. An excellent cross from left-back Jaheim Headley found Harratt unmarked inside the area and he volleyed home from close-range.

The Young Terriers continued to enjoy the better of proceedings and their high press restricted the visitors from causing Town’s defence any real problems. Ilounga Pata provided Bromby’s side with a real outlet down the right, and he delivered a number of inviting deliveries that were inches away from finding a team mate.

Town then managed to find a deserved second goal shortly before the interval. Some neat interplay involving captain Scott High and Harratt resulted in the latter finding a pocket of space at the edge of the area, who then fired home emphatically to put the hosts in cruise control.

Town continued where they left off in the second-half and should have added a third shortly after the interval when High’s corner was cleared only as far as Aaron Rowe, who dragged his first-time effort just wide of the post.

The home side then made their dominance pay just six minutes later courtesy of a fine strike from Obiero. Josh Austerfield showed some neat footwork inside the box, before laying it off for Town’s number 11, who fired home powerfully from the edge of the area.

Moments later, it got even better for Bromby’s side. Some excellent wing play from Aaron Rowe saw him beat four Rochdale defenders, before firing a dangerous low ball across the face of the six-yard box, which was tapped home on the line by Crichlow-Noble to put the icing on the cake.

Town ‘keeper Giosue Bellagambi was a spectator for much of the afternoon and was forced into action for the first time with 20 minutes to play but he stood up to the task and produced a fine save to preserve the four-goal lead.

Harratt will feel he should have taken home the match ball when the Young Terriers’ relentless high pressing forced ‘keeper Morgan Piper into a mistake, but Town’s number nine missed his kick with the goal at his mercy.

Perhaps the only disappointment of the afternoon for Town was the failure to secure a clean-sheet when Phillips fired through a sea of bodies to hand his side a mere consolation.